I dont think many people believe that it is America n in origin, just that it has been popularised by portrayal of american culture in the media.

Yes, I agree. I know that halloween did not originate in America but they are the nation we see through TV and media really getting into halloween in a huge way. It's like pavlova.. Lol.. Aussies like to claim it but technically it originated in New Zealand.

I have not read the above posts but doesn't Halloween go against everything we teach our children about stranger danger?
I mean we teach them not to talk to strangers or accept anything from someone we don't know, yet we are encouraging our children to knock on the doors of strangers and accept gifts from them.
So yes I am against Halloween.

It's a whole other thread, but no I don't teach my kids stranger danger. If they are lost or for lots of reasons they might need a stranger's help.

In any event I am with them when they are trick or treating so it's not like approaching strangers alone.

I dont think many people believe that it is America n in origin, just that it has been popularised by portrayal of american culture in the media.

That mildly annoys me (my parents do this all the time). Do these same people reject McDonald's? Refuse to watch American tv? Not drive cars? So many things good and bad come from other cultures but the "it's American commercialism" card gets dragged out too often by people who embrace other things that are American (not saying you do this I wouldn't have a clue but generally).

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I despise the saturation of American culture as much as anyone. But for that reason, I mainly watch shows from here or the UK, so do the kids. I don't put Halloween into that category because it is a pagan thing - and it is sooo interesting - the history and how it all started etc.

It's not that I'm against it...I'm more bewildered by it. I don't get it. Growing up no one I knew celebrated it, there was nothing in shops etc. The most it was acknowledged was an occasional school disco with a Halloween theme, so to walk into Woollies now and see a whole theme, decorations etc, products actually marketed for it eg eye ball candy is wierd. My boys don't need more lollies (we have a place we keep any from party lolly bags etc and they have one every now and then, but mostly end up forgetting about it and they're accumulating!) and also don't need an excuse to dress up - any day is good for dressing up! Being a bicultural family we already have more than enough celebrations so it's not one we plan on taking up. Not against it, but very "meh"

Oh one thing I do like about it - with shops now embracing it there is a delay in breaking out the Christmas decorations so instead of starting September they don't come out till after Halloween now!

That mildly annoys me (my parents do this all the time). Do these same people reject McDonald's? Refuse to watch American tv? Not drive cars? So many things good and bad come from other cultures but the "it's American commercialism" card gets dragged out too often by people who embrace other things that are American (not saying you do this I wouldn't have a clue but generally).

Really, of all the things we could take from American culture, this seems positively benign.
It's not really a big thing where we live, no one seems to do it. But the kids often get invited to parties etc- just not the whole trick or treat thing. I think it's fine. We celebrate Christmas, why not Halloween?